Title: The Curse Between Us
Pairing/Characters: Maya Amthyce, Kael Harland
Prompt: 7. Go to hell
Rating: M

Fighting; that was all they ever did. Fighting over this, fighting over that. In fact, it had become part of the daily ritual at the Corp headquarters, and if Maya Amthyce and Kael Harland weren't fighting first thing in the morning, you knew something was wrong.

Maya's attack this freezing winter's day was particularly vicious, compounded by her hatred of cold weather, mornings in general and, though she didn't want to admit it, her "time of the month". She had stumbled into the room, bad-tempered from lack of sleep, when Kael, who couldn't resist the urge to strike first, remarked, "By the Zyors, Amythce, you looked like a dead bawd warmed up." It wasn't a particularly witty attack, but Maya found her anger growing as the others sniggered.

"You know what, Harland?" Maya went right up into Kael's face, looking even fiercer than normal, "I've had just about enough of your bloody 'jokes' and you goddamn 'snarky comments'." Maya pushed Kael roughly for emphasis and he stumbled, caught off guard. He was, however, ready for the punch that sailed towards his stomach, catching Maya's fist and pushing her back.

"I never hit women but if you're not careful, I might just make an exception!"

"Do it, then. Be a man and stand by your word." As they glared at each other, daring each other to attack, a messenger came running in.

"A body's been found in the Upper Market District. Looks like the poor sod was beaten to death." The squad rushed around the room, with Kael asking for the exact details on the body's location. As soon as the messenger had finished rattling off the name of the street, Maya sped off without so much as a backwards glance.

"Amythce, wait, you fool!" Kael called after her, "Damn blast it! Hurry up, you bunch of lazy sods! Amthyce will be at the body by the time you've got your arses out in the street."

As Kael had predicted, Maya had indeed arrived at the murder scene long before the others. She barked at the crowd to stay at bay, going so far as to threaten the more curious bystanders. The victim was lying near the gutter, and had been beaten so savagely, Maya couldn't even begin to approximate his age.

By the time the rest of the squad arrived, Maya was in deep conversation with one of the Guards, who were much more familiar with the goings-on of the locals than the Corp were. Kael left Robbie and Bryce to look over the body to see if they could find any clues, then, after a cursory glance at the scene, walked over to join Maya.

"...don't know, lieutenant. It just don't feel right to me, know what I'm sayin'?"

"I understand completely."

"Understand what?" Kael butted in, "What you got for me?"

"Mid 20s. Local to this district. 'pparently has a thing for alcohol and gambling."  Maya wrinkled her nose in disgust at the man's habits, "Oh, and he was branded on his left hand." Maya indicated to the man's left forehand, where it looked like the imprint of a coin had been branded on.

"Bastards. They dare insult Her Majesty like that," Kael spat, "Either way, this job's already solved. Lad wastes his money on drink and gambling. Can't pay back his debt; gets killed." Maya looked at the Guard.

"Told you it would be like this."

"You saying I'm wrong then?"

"Jaiden thinks something's off."

"Jaiden?" Kael raised his eyebrows at Maya's use of the Guard's first name and turned to the young man, "Well then, Jaiden, what do you think happened?" Jaiden shuffled his feet nervously under Kael's hostile glare but started speaking anyway, wanting to help solve the murder.

"The man's a lout for sure, sir. According to the locals, he's as rude as can be and worse after he's been in the cups. Tries to attack anybody who gets in his way. But..." Jaiden licked his lips and Maya urged him to continue, "He ain't never been a poor one, sir. Wouldn't be caught dead in these clothes."

"Ironic."  Kael muttered.

"His da's a well to do merchant, and his money funds his son's gambling and drinking. I don't think he was killed because he was in debt."

"Well it's a good thing you aren't paid to think, isn't it? Your job is to patrol the streets and keep everyone safe, a job you perform poorly if that man is anything to go by!" Jaiden bowed his head, looking anguished. "Although... I really wouldn't have a job if you did yours properly." Kael said thoughtfully and walked off to take a good look at the victim. Maya wanted to rip into Kael, punish him for his cruelty, but instead turned to Jaiden.

"I apologise for his rude behaviour. He's a fucking bastard at the best of times. I'll deal with him." Jaiden shook his head.

"No, it's OK, ma'am. He's got a point." Maya groaned.

"Don't go believing that, and don't go letting him hear you say that. I'm already suffocating under his enormous ego. I don't need you making it any bigger." Jaiden managed a small smile, nodded his leave and went to help his partner disperse the crowd.

Back in the squad room, the team were once again listening to the infamous yelling matches of their superior officers.

"You heard the Sniffer. The man was a lout who'd terrorise the neighbourhood whenever he got the chance. And he's the son of a merchant. Good riddance to bad rubbish."

"Oh, so you'll ignore the rest of what Jaiden said because it'll mean you don't have to do your job? After telling him he couldn't do his? Damn your hypocrisy, Harland! It's not your place to judge victims. It's your job to bring the perpetrators to justice!"

"Ha! Listen to the snake rebuking the fox. You didnt seem especially keen to bring those vigilantes from last month's case to justice, did you?" Maya ground her teeth in frustration.

"So you'd let a potential murderer walk away because you 'just know' that the victim couldn't pay his debt." This time, Maya struck a verbal blow. Kael might not have liked the victim but if there was even the tiniest chance an innocent person could be killed because of the murderer, then Kael couldn't stand around doing nothing.

For the rest of the day, Bryce and Robbie had liasoned with the local Guards while Kael and Maya had gone to visit the victim's father. The man had been in shock. "Why?" he'd asked, "Why would anyone want to kill my son?" They had questioned him at length, asked if his son had acted out of character, if there were threats involved, or blackmailing of the merchant's business. It had all amounted to naught. Now they sat in the local tavern, unwinding as the beer and wine flowed.

"Why, Amthyce?" Maya threw Kael a questioning look over her cup. "Why do you insist on fighting me? I'll admit, I enjoy getting in your face, but only because you go asking for it."

"I feel like I've come to hell, in this place. My number one priority is to stay alive and get back home, and I'll do that the only way I know how - by fighting my way there."

"Well I'm sure this place wouldn't be so much of a 'hell' if you loosened up a bit and stopped hating everything. Just a thought, is all."

"Yeah? Well what would you do in my situation? If you were far away from home and the only way to get back was to do a job you hated?"

"I'd get myself pissed, find myself a nice pair of tits to bed, then get on with the job." Maya chuckled wryly.

"Go to hell, Harland."

"Ah, but according to you, I'm already there."